I don't think that anyone truly understands the preparation that goes into teaching. I am not just talking about lesson plans. Getting materials ready seems to take even more time. I could spend days face to face with the copier and still manage to forget something that needed distributed. Organization is essential. I could live in my classroom and still not have it properly organized. By the end of each day, I am lucky to find my car keys let alone a missing glue bottle. On a good day, I spend close to 45 minutes after the students leave in order to get things back into place and ready for the next school day. For all of those people who say it isn't fair that teachers get the summers off, I invite them to shadow me for a month. The amount of time that I put in (both in the classroom and at home) far outweighs a 40 hour workweek during the summer. Teachers need the summer off to recuperate and maintain sanity to begin the process all over again once August arrives.
As for preparing for a kindergarten class each day, it is more demanding than I ever could have imagined. I have spent countless hours tracing and cutting things that are too intricate for their limited fine motor skills. I have to give directions at least 100 times a day in 100 different ways to make sure that everyone understands. (It's not like they can pick up a paper, read the directions, and complete a task.) I cannot plan anything longer than 10 minutes in length because they are not used to focusing their attention for any longer.
So many people do not realize that teaching is not just about what occurs within the confines of a classroom. It takes hours thought and preparation. It takes compassion and patience. Most of all, though, it takes a person who can look at every child and make the commitment to providing that child with the best education possible. For so many children, school is the only place where they will find someone who believes in them.
Even with the time and preparation requirements, I am so glad that I chose a career in education. I absolutely love my job and I can't imagine myself anywhere else doing anything else. I get the most amazing feeling when one of my students reads to me. I think back to when they first stepped into my classroom and marvel over how far they have come. Each day (even with the trials) is rewarding in its own way.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Introduction
Hello! My name is Jennifer Wilfong and I teach kindergarten at Mercer Elementary School in Western Pennsylvania. I have done blogs before, but they were always personal and did not necessarily pertain to my professional career. I am excited to connect with other teachers in this way to expand my own knowledge and share personal experiences about this wonderful and challenging career.
I graduated from Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2009 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and a minor in Performing Arts. I was eager and anxious to get into the eudcation field. I had heard how competitive the job search would be, but I never really knew until I experienced it for myself. I sent out nearly 100 applications to schools all over the country. I had interviews at several, but for most of them I didn't even receive the courtesy of a reply. When I began getting "rejection" letters stating that I was not chosen for the positions, I was devastated. May and June passed, and then July, and I had no idea where I was going to be once school started. I recevied a phone call in late July from the Mercer School District asking if I would be interested in an AmeriCorps position at the elementary school. I had no idea what that was, so I agreed to research it before I made a decision.
After gaining more information on the position, I decided (rather reluctantly) to accept. It was not the full-time job I was hoping for, and the pay was not enough to support myself, but I knew that at least I would be working in a school every day. I would make myself known and I would prove that every school should want to hire me. I worked very hard during that year of service. I put in countless hours and devoted myself to the students that I was serving.
When Spring 2010 arrived, I learned that Mercer was hiring for 2 full-time elementary positions. I jumped at the opportunity, and I was lucky enough to make it through the interview process. (I believe mostly because of the experience that I had at the school.) I was elated! I could not believe that my dream of finally having a classroom of my own was coming true. I could go on and on about setting up my classroom and preparing for the school year, but I will save that for another time. I keep telling my mom that I should write a book about surviving the first year of teaching. It has been quite an interesting roller coaster ride...as I am sure many other teachers can relate.
I consider myself very blessed to be in this career and to have found a classroom to call home, especially at such a wonderful school district. I work with some amazing people who have taught me so much already, and I continue to learn from them each and every day.
I graduated from Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2009 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and a minor in Performing Arts. I was eager and anxious to get into the eudcation field. I had heard how competitive the job search would be, but I never really knew until I experienced it for myself. I sent out nearly 100 applications to schools all over the country. I had interviews at several, but for most of them I didn't even receive the courtesy of a reply. When I began getting "rejection" letters stating that I was not chosen for the positions, I was devastated. May and June passed, and then July, and I had no idea where I was going to be once school started. I recevied a phone call in late July from the Mercer School District asking if I would be interested in an AmeriCorps position at the elementary school. I had no idea what that was, so I agreed to research it before I made a decision.
After gaining more information on the position, I decided (rather reluctantly) to accept. It was not the full-time job I was hoping for, and the pay was not enough to support myself, but I knew that at least I would be working in a school every day. I would make myself known and I would prove that every school should want to hire me. I worked very hard during that year of service. I put in countless hours and devoted myself to the students that I was serving.
When Spring 2010 arrived, I learned that Mercer was hiring for 2 full-time elementary positions. I jumped at the opportunity, and I was lucky enough to make it through the interview process. (I believe mostly because of the experience that I had at the school.) I was elated! I could not believe that my dream of finally having a classroom of my own was coming true. I could go on and on about setting up my classroom and preparing for the school year, but I will save that for another time. I keep telling my mom that I should write a book about surviving the first year of teaching. It has been quite an interesting roller coaster ride...as I am sure many other teachers can relate.
I consider myself very blessed to be in this career and to have found a classroom to call home, especially at such a wonderful school district. I work with some amazing people who have taught me so much already, and I continue to learn from them each and every day.
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